Michigan basketball's Hunter Dickinson, Brandon Johns Jr. may not play vs. Maryland
Michigan basketball could be without starting center Hunter Dickinson and reserve power forward Brandon Johns Jr. for the second consecutive game Tuesday when the Wolverines host Maryland at Crisler Center.
Dickinson and Johns, who traveled to Illinois but did not play, were unable to fully participate in the team's workout Sunday evening, according to associate head coach Phil Martelli. Their status for Tuesday hinges on whether they can partake in five-on-five action during Monday’s practice and how their bodies respond to the increased workload.
Head coach Juwan Howard, who chose to hold both players out of the loss to Illinois, will once again have the final say on their availability Tuesday night.
“Their wellbeing — long-term wellbeing — will be the determining factor,” Martelli said in a Zoom call Monday morning.
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Howard’s decision to face the Illini without Dickinson and Johns remained private until roughly 30 minutes before tipoff. Johns, who also missed the loss to Rutgers after testing positive for COVID-19, was on the floor for pregame warmups with teammates but never entered the game. Dickinson, who tested positive several days after Johns, remained in the locker room until starting lineups were introduced. He leads the team in scoring at 16.1 points per game and rebounds at 8.8 per game.
Without Dickinson and Johns, the Wolverines faced star center Kofi Cockburn with only one scholarship big man in freshman Moussa Diabate. Walk-on Jaron Faulds, who was also recovering from COVID-19, played a career-high 12 minutes as an emergency option. Hybrid guard/forward Jace Howard was also called into duty for 14 minutes as a makeshift center.
“Those two guys haven’t had much practice time at all being out with COVID,” Howard said after the game. “Brandon actually caught it before Hunter did, and actually he was feeling some symptoms and it was very challenging for him. It took some time, and everyone has different immune systems and I’m not medical, I’m not going to explain or break down everything about it. Fortunately enough, it was just great to see him in the flesh and there to support his teammates.
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“Hunter, he was one of the guys that caught it a little bit later than Brandon. Another one that didn’t get a chance to really practice. Fortunate enough, the medical cleared and said that they are better health-wise. I didn’t feel comfortable with putting them out there in the game with no practice time because all that’s going to do is put them in a tough situation where they can possibly — and thank God it didn’t — you never know how that situation would end up. But overall, they’re here to support their brothers and it was great to see the support on all levels.”
The Wolverines continue to play without reserve guard Zeb Jackson, who remains away from the team due to undisclosed personal reasons. Jackson’s absence spanned several games earlier this season before he returned to make four appearances from Dec. 1 through Dec. 18, including a career-best scoring effort when he tallied eight points against Southern Utah.
Jackson did not travel with the team to Rutgers or Illinois and will not play Tuesday against Maryland.
“He’s just working through some things,” Martelli said. “Getting all the support from the coaching staff, from the personnel on campus and making sure that he’s in a good place mentally to rejoin the team — if that’s what’s best for him.”
Contact Michael Cohen at mcohen@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @Michael_Cohen13.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Why Michigan basketball may be without Hunter Dickinson again
